Continuous process for forming cigar bunches



Jail. 23, 1945. WELLS 2,367,911

CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR FORMING CIGAR BUNCHES Filed Sept. 2, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 1' INVENTOR FRANKLIN H. WELLS swag/W ATTORNEY F. H. WELLS Jan. 23, 1945.

CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR FORMING CIGAR BUNCHES Filed Sept. "2, 1942 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 S L R m W N R WW 1 m L mK /A N M VI B Jan. 23, 1945. WELLS 2,367,911

CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR FORMING CIGAR BUNCHES Filed Sept. 2, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 3

INVI'ZNTOR FRANKLIN H.WELLS BY 2 V 4;;

ATTORNEY Jan, 23, 1945. F. H. WELLS 1 2,367,911

CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR FORMING CIGAR BUNCHES Filed Sept. 2, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR FRANKLIN 'H.- WELLS BY J Patented Jan. 23, 1945 23mph CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR FORMING CIGAR BUNCHES Franklin H. 'Wells, Ridgewood, N. J.,fassignor to International Cigar Machinery Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application September '2, 1942, SerialNo. 456,991

17 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of cigars and more particularly to a novel method for making cigar bunches.

In the past it has been the practice in making both long and short filler cigars to employ an operator to feed individual binders by hand. This results in the speed of the machine being limited by the speed at which an operator can feed binder or wrapper material. In modern machines, this is on the order of 9 to 15 cigars aminute, depending on size of wrapper, condition of tobacco leaves, and other factors. Another factor contributing to the slow speed of cigar machines today is that they are constructed for intermittent operation. Cigarette machines, on the other hand, operate continuously on the order of 1000 cigarettes a minute, and as a result the unit cost of manufacture is very low.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for the continuous manufacture of cigar bunches which will enable the unit cost of cigar manufacture to be lowered.

Another object is to provide a new and improved method for making cigar bunches which will enable cigars to be produced at a much higher rate of speed.

A further object is to form a continuous binder andto form therewith a continuous rod of filler tobacco substantially cigar size in cross section to thereby increase the uniformity of the cigar bunches manufactured.

Another object is to simplify the procedure heretofore followed in making cigars and thereby increase the rate of speed at which cigars are manufactured.

A further object is to avoid making binders with special shapes, and instead make a binder which will have a quadrangular figure.

Another object is to make efficient use 'of binders which are shorter than cigar length so as to reduce thecost of cigar manufacture without reducing the quality of the cigar.

A further object is to provide an improved process which will eliminate the need for expensive and special mechanism heretofore thought necessary in the manufacture of cigar bunches.

Another object is to provide a new process for making cigars which will allow one operator ample time to attend to the filler feeding and binder operations.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear as the description of the particular physical embodiments selected to illustrate the invention progresses.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification,-like characters of reference have been applied to corresponding parts throughout the several views which make up the drawings, in which:

Fig. '1 is a schematic perspective view of apparatus-suitabl for carrying out the improved cigar making process where filler material is fed by hand;

'Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of apparatus suitable for carrying out the improved cigar making process where filler material is fed automatically.

Fig. 3 is aschematic perspective view of apparatus suitable for carrying out the improved cigar making process where individually cut cigar bunch charges are automatically fed;

Fig. 4 is a schematic top View of apparatus suit- I able for carrying out the improved cigar making process where the cigar binder material is applied spirally about cigar filler; and

Figure 5 is a view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4:.

Any suitable apparatus may be employed to carry out the inventors improved process for making cigars.

The inventors process may be briefly described as follows: cigar binder material is fed in a con-v tinuous strip; this continuous binder strip may be made from any suitabl type of material. British Patent No. 282,364 discloses one way of making a continuous strip of binder material from natural leaf tobacco.

This continuous strip of binder material is fed either continuously or intermittently, depending on the type of apparatus employed. A suitable filler feed may be used in conjunction with saidbinder feed to deposit either continuously or intermittently, depending on how the binder feedis operated, .a uniform quantity of filler tobacco on the upper surface of thebinder material.

The sheet material, after it has received on its upper surface its supply of filler tobacco, is advanced to a wrapping station which wraps and pastes the binder material about the filler charge. From this position it passes beneath a suitable smoothing device, to render the seam smooth, and then to a conventional cutter which severs the rod on a bias at predetermined intervals.

The severed bunches are delivered to a collecting device which may be so arranged as to deliver the cigar bunches to a conventional shape:- or crimper, such as shownin the Wheeler Patent No. 2,158,315. From this stage on, the parts of a cigar machine acting on a cigar bunch after it has its binder applied can be exactly the same as those found in a conventional cigar machine.

The schematic showing in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 is not intended t3 limit the present invention to any particular type of apparatus, but is provided for the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the invention and to show one type of apparatus which can be used to carry the present invention into effect.

Referring to Fig. 1, a suitable die, designated generally by the letter D, is provided for cutting sections of binder leaf material. Binder material may be cut one sheet at a time, or a plurality of sheets at a time, by means of this die. The cut binder material is then deposited upon a suitable conveyor or chute which delivers the same into a suitable hopper H. Individual sections of this cut binder material are then fed by conventional feeding means from the bottom of the hopper by means of a feed roller l2 along a supporting platform l3 to a pasting station.- A suitable paste applier l4, shown schematically, is provided for applying paste to one end of each section, and a roller I5 is provided for pressing down the overlapped end of the adjoining section to seal the adjoining sections together in order to form a continuous strip of binder material.

The binder material could be natural binder leaf tobacco, pulp tobacco, sheet tobacco, crinkled paper, or other suitable sheet material. If desired, the die mechanism D could be dispensed with and an operator could place a supply of cut binder sections into the hopper l I. A suitable roll of sheet material could also be substituted for the hopper I I and material could be fed from this roll directly to the conveyor belt [6.

A second suitable conveyor belt I! is provided, upon which tobacco filler material T is placed either by hand or otherwise. Conveyor belt I! delivers tobacco leaves upon the collecting binder strip l8. Conveyor belts l5 and I! may be made of a rubber-like material or any other type of suitable Web material. Conveyor belts l6 and I! are operated in synchronized relation to provide a uniform deposit of filler tobacco IS on the outstretched strip of binder material l8. Conveyor belt l6 travels over pulleys 20 and 2|, one of which is positively driven by suitable means. Conveyor belt I! travels over pulleys 22 and 23, one of which is driven in timed relation with the pulley driving belt I 6.

The continuous stream of filler tobacco is then forwarded to a suitable rod formin device 24 which, by means of the upper portion of belt l6, wraps the binder material about the filler stream IS. A conventional paste applier 25 applies paste to one edge of the binder material,

and a suitable ironer or sealer 25 is provided for pressing down the opposite edge of the binder material upon said pasted edge to form a sealed rod of filler tobacco 21. Rod 21 is then forwarded to a ledger plate 28 having a suitable knife 29 which intermittently severs the rod on a bias into sections of predetermined length. The slantin out later facilitates making tapered tuck and rounded head ends on the cigar bunch when it is shaped. For further illustration of suitable cutting knives, reference may be had to such a patent asRundell No. 1,907,587.

The severed sections are then forwarded by means of the succeeding lengths of filler into a conveyor or chute 30. Chute 30 may then deliver the cut cigar bunch lengths to a suitable shaping mechanism S. For a further exampl of suitable shaping mechanism, reference may be had to such a patent as Rundell No. 1,944,760. As

der of the operations usually performed on a cigar may be performed by the mechanism shown in conventional cigar making machines.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that it is similar in some respects to the structure shown in Fig. 1, and in addition illustrates mechanical means for feeding filler material to the collecting conveyor. A conventional hopper 3! is provided for holding a supply of filler tobacco. This hopper may be vibrated or oscillated by means of the connecting rod 32 or by suitable vibrating mechanism, such as that shown in Broekhuysen No. 2,280,056, to feed small quantities of tobacco to a cone shaped member 33. Member 33 serves to align the tobacco leaves side by side and rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow.

' Any other suitable aligning mechanism could be substituted for this purpose.

he aligned tobacco is then delivered to a suitable weighing platform 34 which, through suitable electrical connections, stops the feeding operation of hopper 3| and cone shaped member 33 when it ha received a predetermined quantity of tobacco. The tilting of platform 34 is controlled b and synchronized with the travel of belt l6a to cause a continuous stream of tobacco to be deposited thereon. Platform 34 when tilted will be inclined sufficiently to allow tobacco thereon to slide down under the force of gravity upon conveyor Ila. If desired, a suitable pusher may be employed for pushing the tobacco from said platform onto said conveyor I la. The tobacco slides down platform 34 onto conveyor Na in side by side relationship. Automatic tobacco weighing devices which may be adapted for this purpose will be found in such patents as Allen No. 1,798,775 and No. 1,798,776, and Schussler No. 1,559,009.

Conveyor belt 16a may be operated continuously or intermittently, and conveyor belt lla operates in synchronization with said belt lGa to provide a stream of filler tobacco upon the continuous binder strip l8a conveyed by belt lB-a. A suitable shaping mechanism similar to that indicated by the letter S in Fig. 1 may be used with the structure shown in Fig. 2 as well as the structure shown in Figs. 3 and 4 hereinafter described. The remainder of the structure shown in Fig. 2 operates in a manner similar to that already described in connection with Fig. 1.

In Fig. 3 there is provided a schematc showing of a conventional cross feed. While any suitable cross feed may be used, particular reference may be had to Bronander No. 1,740,571 and Lindblad No. 1,977,994 for a more detailed illustration of a suitable cross feed. In the schematic showing, Fig. 3, a pair of side belts 35 and a horizontal belt 36 are provided for forming a feeding channel to which tobacco leaves are delivered. The tobacco leaves are forwarded in a stream to a suitable corrugated cutter 40, which severs cigar length sections from the tobacco stream 31. A suitable pusher 38 is provided for pushing the cut section (or sections, depending on how the apparatus is arranged) sidewise into a' suitable measuring chamber which has been omitted from the present illustration for the sake of simplification. For a detailed showing of a measuring chamber, reference may be had to the aforementioned patent issued to Lindblad No.

stated heretofore, from that stage on the remain- 1,977,994. A suitable cutter 39 is provided for severing cigar bunch charges of uniform size iii terial which interconnects the separated cigar bunch filler charges. It will be noted that the overhanging ends provide cigar bunch charges which in general are similar to those formed when a conventional binder applying apron' applies a binder to a charge of filler tobacco in present day cigar machines. The overhanging binder serves to hold the filler in the ends of the bunch intact, and it also acts to form a layer of binder material over the end of the cigar when it undergoes crimping.

Suitable means are provided in Fig. 4 for applying a spiral wrap about a continuous stream of .cigar filler tobacco. Two stationary rolls or rods 4! and 42 are held in fixed position by suitable means, such as brackets 43 and 44. A web or belt 45, traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow, is wound around stationary roll 4! and passes over driven pulley 45. A second belt 41 is wound around roller 42 and passes over belt 45 on pulley 4E. The roller 48 is positively driven, in the direction indicated by the arrow, by suitable means in synchronized relation with the rate of movement of belts 45 and 41. Roller 48 is adjustably mounted so that the :size and degree of compaction of the filler rod may be regulated thereby.

A conveyor belt 69, traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow, deposits a stream of cigar filler leaves upon belt so that the longitudinal axes of said leaves are all aligned. The disk 50, rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow, forces the cigar filler in between roller 48 and loops of belts 4'5 and 41. In this connection, one end of roller 48 has a conical form 5! coacting with disk 50 to compact the cigar filler on belt in between roller 48 and the loops of belts 45 and 4i. The operation of belts 45, 41 and roller 48 in conjunction with disk effects a substantially spiral rolling of the aligned leaves C advanced by belt 45 (see Figures 4 and 5. A continuous strip of arti ficial sheet tobacco 52 is fed on one side of belt and passes under the presser foot 53 which holds strip 52 in contact with belt 45. A suitable paste box 54 and paste applying wheel 55 are provided for applying a strip of paste to one side of the continuous strip of binder material 52. g

The cigar filler tobacco C as shown in Figures 4 and 5, is first compacted and rolled spirally, as described hereinabove, so as to form a spirally rolled rod of aligned cigar filler tobacco leaves between driven pulley 48 and loops of belts 45 and M, and then the continuous strip of binder material is applied about the compacted cont nuous rod of cigar filler. The continuous rod of filler travels out from between rods 4| and c2. and. roller 48, into asuitable ledger guide plate 55 which has a conventional cutter 5T intermittently severing said rod intocigar bunch lengths. The cigar bunches may be severed on a bias or with a straight cut, depending on What shape the ends of the finished :cigars are ultimately to have. These lengths are deposited upon a suitable belt or platform 58 which .may deliver them, into .a suitable shaping device, such as that shown at S.

It is understood that the showing in .Fig. 4 is only intended to disclose how it is possible to apply a spiral -wrap about a continuous rod of filler tobacco, .as opposed to a wrapper with a straight fold such as that shown in Figs. 1 .to 3. Thestructure shown for applying the spiral wrap is generally similar to that in the patent to Maxfield No. 545,805. Any other suitable mechanism could of course be employed for this purpose.

In connection with the .species shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the longitudinal axes of the .individual particles making up the .cigar filler are all first aligned with one another,,and then undergo .a suitable preliminary compaction before the continuous strip of binder material is wrapped about the compacted charge of fillertobacco.

In the modifications shown in Figures 1 and 2, preliminary compaction of tobacco is effected as the stream passes between rollers 24a. In doing this, it is desirable to cause the filler 1eaves to be more or less curved or rolled about their longitudinal axes to form .a roll of cigar filler, thereby to increase the draw of the cigar ultimately formed.

The invention above described may be varied in construction within the scope of the claims,

for the particular device selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many concrete embodiments of the same. The invention there fore is not to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described.

What is claimed is: 1. A method for manufacturing cigar bunches consisting in intermittently feeding a continuous strip of natural tobacco binder material, depositing on said continuous binder a predetermined quantity of long filler cigar tobacco, wrapping and securing said binder about said filler to form a continuous cigar bunch rod of approximately cigar size in cross section, and then severing cigar bunches from the end of said rod.

2. A method for making cigar bunches which consists in feeding a continuous strip of binder material, depositing on said strip at spaced intervals predetermined quantities of cigar filler tobacco, wrapping and securing said binder material about said spaced quantities of cigar filler tobacco to form a rod of substantially cigar size in cross section, and then severing said rod at the portions between said quantities of cigar filler tobacco to form cigar bunches.

, 3. A method for making cigar bunches which consists in intermittently feeding a continuous strip of binder material, depositing on said strip during each intermission a charge of cigar filler tobacco sufiicient to form the filler for an individual cigar bunch, then wrapping said binder about said filler as said binder is intermittently forwarded in substantially rod form, and then cutting off each enwrapped filler'charge to form a cigar bunch.

4. A method for making cigar bunches which consists in feeding a continuous strip of binder material, feeding cigar filler tobacco leaves. aligning said leaves side by side, depositing said aligned filler leaves longitudinally on said binder material, enfolding said binder about the filler leaves so deposited as the binder material continues traveling forward, applying adhesive along the overlapped portions of said binder to hold the same together, and then severing said enfolded filler into cigar bunch lengths.

5. A method for making cigar bunches which consists in feeding a continuous strip of binder material, feeding scrap tobacco, aligning the longitudinal axis of said scrap side by side, depositing said aligned scrap on said binder material, wrapping said binder material about said filler, applying an adhesive to the overlapped portions of said binder to hold the same in place to form a cigar bunch filler rod, and then severing said rod at predetermined intervals to form cigar bunches.

6. The process of making cigar bunches which consists in feeding a continuous strip of binder material along a predetermined path, feeding filler tobacco in a. stream along another remote path of travel, severing cigar length sections, from said stream, accumulating said cigar length sections side by side, severing from said accumulation individual charges of filler tobacco having a cross-sectional area approximating that of a cigar. forwarding to and depositing said individual filler charges on said continuous strip of binder material, folding said continuous strip of binder material about said filler as said filler and strip of binder mater al are forwarded along the predetermined path of the binder material. and then severing said filler and binder into cigar bunch length sections.

'7. A method for making cigar bunches which consists in feeding a continuous strip of binder material. align ng cigar filler leaves side by side. feeding said aligned filler leaves in synchronization with the feeding of sa d continuous strip of binder material, wrapping and securing said b nder material about said cigar filler leaves to form a rod of ap roximate cigar size in cross section. sever ng said rod into sections of predetermined length. and then shaping each of said sections to impart thereto the form of a cigar.

8. A process of making cigars wh ch consists in feeding a continuous strip of pulp tobacco or crepe paper along a predetermined path of travel, depositing on sa d strip at predetermined intervals individual charges of cigar filler tobacco, wrapping and securing said strip about said charges as they are forwarded along a predetermined path of travel to form a series of wrapped interconnected individual cigar bunches. severing said individual bunches from one another, and then shaping each bunch so severed to impart thereto the sha e of a cigar.

9. The process of making cigar bunches which consists in feed ng a predetermined quantity of cigar filler material along a predetermined path of travel. aligning the longitudinal axes of the individual portions of tobacco making up said cigar filler wrapping a. continuous strip of sheet material about sa d ci ar filler, and then severing said enwrapped filler obliquely at predetermined ntervals into cigar bunches.

10. The method of manufacturing cigars which consists in the steps of feeding a continuous strip of binder materiahweighing predetermined quantities of cigar filler, delivering said weighed cigar filler to said binder material. folding and securing said binder material about said filler to form an elongated cigar bunch rod. then severing said rod, compressing said filler enwrapped in said binder into cigar bunch length sections, and then shaping the ends of said sections to resemble a cigar.

11. The method of manufacturing cigars which consists in the steps of feeding a continuous strip of binder material, depositing on said binder material at spaced intervals individual charges of cigar filler, folding said continuous strip of binder material about said charges to form a connected chain of wrapped cigar filler charges, severing said chain at the portions between said wrapped filler charges, and then shaping said wrapped filler charges so as to impress said wrapped charges with the shape they are to have when formed into cigars. 12. The method of manufacturing cigars which consists in the steps of feeding a continuous strip of binder material, depositing on said binder material at spaced intervals individual charges of cigar filler tobacco, folding said continuous strip of binder material about said charges to form a, connected chain of wrapped cigar filler charges, severing said chain at the portions between said wrapped filler charges so as to form cigar bunches with projecting tubular binder ends.

13. The method of manufacturing cigars which consists in the steps of continuously feeding binder material, aligning the longitudinal axes of cigar tobacco filler leaves side by side, continuously advancing said cigar filler into association with said binder material, wrapping said binder material spirally about said filler, severing said filler and binder into sections of predetermined length, and then shaping each section to resemble a cigar bunch.

14. The process of manufacturing cigar bunches which consists in feeding a continuous strip of binder material, feeding a stream of filler tobacco, severing from said stream sec tions of filler tobacco of cigar bunch length, compacting said severed sections sidewise, severing from said compacted sections individual charges of filler tobacco suflicient to form the filler of one cigar bunch, said sections having been sufficiently compacted that the charges so severed will retain their shape, depositing said charges upon said strip of binder material,-

wrapping said binder material about said charges to form a continuous rod of cigar bunch material, and then severing said rod at the portions between said filler charges to form cigar bunches.

15. The method of making cigar bunches which consists in aligning the longitudinal axes of cigar filler leaves with one another, feeding said aligned cigar filler leaves in a cont nuous stream, continuously curling said aligned leaves upon themselves, compacting said curled leaves, then applying a continuous strip of binder material spirally about said compacted and curled cigar filler leaves to form a continuous rod of cigar'bunch material, and then severing said rod on a bias at spaced intervals to form cigar bunches.

16. The method of making cigar bunches which consists in arranging long filler leaves in parallelism, intermittently feeding said leaves along a predetermined path, shaping said leaves into a 17. The process of making cigar bunches which consists in feeding a, continuous strip of sheet material suitable for use as a binder in cigar manufacture, feeding cigar filler tobacco, arranging said filler tobacco longitudinally relative to said sheet material for enwrapping therein, wrapping said binder about said cigar filler which so positioned relative to said binder,

applying adhesive along said binder to hold overlapped portions thereof together and thereby form a composite cigar bunch rod, severing sections of predetermined length from said wrapped cigar filler bunch rod, and then shaping said sections to impart to each the shape of a cigar.

' FRANKLIN H. WELLS. 

